"Primary sources are materials produced by people or groups directly involved in the event or topic under consideration, either as participants or as witnesses."
(Quoted from: A Pocket Guide to Writing History, 5th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2007)
Examples of primary sources, both print and online, include:
To search for primary sources in the library catalog, type your subject terms and then add primary source terms such as:
Examples:
If the person you are researching has written any books on their views or life (autobiography), try an author search.
Author Examples:
Abolitionists Remember: Antislavery Autobiographies & the Unfinished Work of Emancipation by 
Revolution in Black and White: Photographs of the Civil Rights Era by Ernest C. Withers by 
The Slaves' War: The Civil War in the Words of Former Slaves by 
Covers both U.S. & world history. Provides background information on specific events throughout history; pro/con articles that cover all sides of specific events/issues in history; historical timelines and primary sources. (Full text)
Issues & Controversies in American History - After you select the specific issue you are interested in, click on Primary Sources from the menu on the left.
To search for primary sources in the EBSCOhost databases including: Academic Search Complete, History Reference Center, and MasterFILE Premier, type your search terms than select Primary Source Document from the Publication Type menu:
Try the Gale Virtual Reference Library database for finding primary sources.
1. Click on the Advanced Search option.
2. When the Advanced Search screen appears, enter your keywords in the 1st search box.
3. In the 2nd search box, enter the term, primary sources, then select Publication Title from the 2nd menu on the left.
